Improvement in fastenings for shoes



R. A. PRUETTL Fastenings for Sha es.

Patentd Dec. 22,1874.

l w gw CL THE GRAPHIC co- PHOTO-M11439 SH! VARK PLACE,N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE.

RICHARD A. PRUETT, OF OARTHAGE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FASTENINGS FOR SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,972, dated December22, 1874; application filed August 17, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD A. PRUETT, ofGarthage, Hancock county, Illinois, have invented an Improvement inShoes and Fastenings, of which the following is a specification: I

This invention consists in improved fastenin gs for shoes, substantiallyas hereinafter set forth, referring to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 shows the fastenings as in use.

The shoe Aopens in front. Part Fis stitched to one side, and part E tothe other, as shown. The part E folds over the opening in front, to meetthe edge of part F, and is stitched around onto that side on a linebelow the lower point of front opening to point N, so as to cover theopening and its lower point, to protect and exclude dirt, 8m, from them;and part F is stitched down to point I on same side. The lines ofstitching on the two parts I N come to points some distance apart, toallow for the drawing up to fit different sizes and shapes of feet andankles. Along the edges of parts E F are lines of holes for thefasteninglace. The shoe, with parts E F and the lacing, are arrangedtogether in a peculiar way to make an elastic and adjusting fastening,and to fit all forms of foot and size of ankle. The lacing is done witha single strand put through every hole seriatim, instead of a doublestrand crossing into alternate holes, so as to counteract its strainsand make them draw squarely across. The lacing-holes are arranged in thetwo parts, so that the lacing will tend to force the edges to slidealong each other, to make the shoe larger or smaller around the instepand ankle, leaving the toes free and easy, and leaving the edges fittingsnugly, and excluding dust and water. The line of junction of parts EFis arranged diagonally, and so curved that the lacing will draw theshoe into right form to fit the foot, large or small. The strand frombottom hole H is taken underneath on line K to top hole L, and tied tothe other end of the strand from top hole M. In lacing and unlacing theshoe only one strand requires to be manipulated.

I claim- 1. The mode of lacing a shoe with one strand reaching from thetop to the bottom underneath, and then passed back and forth through theholes to the top, to tie with the other end of strand, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination and arrangement of the parts E F, for side-lacing theshoe, with the lacing-holes and the lacing, to tighten and conform theshoe by being drawn, the edges of parts E F sliding along each other,substantially as set forth.

RICHARD A. PRUETT.

Witnesses:

J AMEs M. BUCHANAN, CHARLES P. BUoKNER.

